Jamie Burnett - cos` a runner-up counts too

While everybody is talking about the new Shanghai Masters Champion, Ali Carter, I’ve decided to focus a little bit on this year runner-up, Jamie Burnett.

The boy from Hamilton, Scotland turned pro in 1992 and although in two days he’ll be 35 years old, he doesn’t have any ranking title in his pocket...yet. He almost got one with the Shanghai Masters so maybe he’s not so far away from actually lifting the winner’s trophy. :) He did qualify for the World Open 2010 and maybe the fact that this tournament is held in his beloved country will help him more...who knows...snooker and psychology... :))

He made history, becoming the first snooker player to hit the 148 break in a professional match. Yeah! He did! During the 2004 qualifying stages for the UK Championship he took a free ball and potted the brown as a red (the brown returned to the table, as usual in these conditions), he potted the brown (again) and after that he potted all 15 reds and all the colors, using a blue for the first red, a pink for the second and another pink for the last one. The rest of the red balls were all potted with a black. He won the match 9-8 against the Irish Leo Fernandez. Back then, he was 29 years old and was the world number 49!Four years later, also during the qualifying stages for the UK Championship, things were not so pretty. He lost 3-9 to his practice partner and friend Stephen Maguire, missing a straightforward final black in the12th frame. Since this was a very easy shot and since there were so many bets on that exact final scoreline, the bookies ceased the betting activity.World Snooker launched in 2008 an investigation trying to figure things out. What seemed very suspicious and determined them to start an elaborate investigation was that before the match even stated World Snooker was contacted by bookmarkers reporting suspicious betting patterns on the outcome.

Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett

The only statement that World Snooker made on this issue said:"We have arrangements in place with both Betfair and the Association of British Bookmakers, who contact World Snooker confidentially if irregular betting patterns emerge. In such cases the match in question is carefully monitored by World Snooker and a fair assessment of the player’s performance will be made. In past incidents, which are extremely rare, World Snooker has a particularly stringent line where players have been judged guilty of match-fixing or intention to match-fix." Jamie Burnett replayed: "In the last frame I’ve never felt more pressure in my life. I didn’t think I could have played the colors knowing people have been saying things. On the black I said to myself, 'I need to get this, I need to get this’ in case some people start talking. I just felt so under pressure, probably the most pressure I have felt in my life".On April 15, 2010 both Burnett and Maguire referred to the prosecutors over the irregular betting; they denied any wrongdoing and pledged to co-operate with the authorities if necessary so they could put an end to this business. Until now, there is no final verdict on this matter.

But on a more optimistic note, Jamie Burnett has had amazing victories against big names like Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Stephen Lee trough time and I’m sure the list will improveIn 2010 he qualified for the Shanghai Masters defeating his fellow-country James McBain 5-1 and Michael Holt by the same scoreline. The rest is history, for we all know what an outstanding performance he had during the Shanghai Masters.

Jamie Burnett, the SM 2010 runner-up. Not too shabby! :)

Although his career highlights may only referrer to winning the1990 UK Championship (under 16), the 1990 Scottish Championship (under 16), the 1992 Scottish Amateur Championship, reaching the quarter-finals for the 1997 German Open and the 1998 Grand Prix and the recent runner-up in Shanghai Masters, Jamie Burnett has a lot to say in the snooker business.

He’s not the most charismatic snooker personage and he doesn’t smile too often, but he rocks that snooker table once he starts the game. He has an amazing focusing capacity, he plays very good and has "steel nerves". Maybe sometimes he seems like he’s losing it, but in his twisted mind, that twisted mind that creates those amazing shots he has everything under control. Sure, the pressure and the tension may interfere with what seems to be “a very cool and calm player" but he still keeps that eager to compete and to win. And that’s what makes the difference! :)

P.S. He is one of those players that once they reach the table and start focusing on the game, they are "on fire"!. And since last time I dedicated a song to Ali Carter, here`s the song for Jamie Burnett :))))